Beginning to See the Light
Archives of General Psychiatry
Anna Wirz-Justice, PhD
...light is as effective as drugs, perhaps more so. ...the best evidence
to date that light is an effective antidepressant in seasonal affective
disorder (SAD).

Canadian Consensus Guidelines for
the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder
A Summary of the Report of the Canadian Consensus Group on SAD
Editors - Raymond W. Lam, MD, FRCPC and Anthony J. Levitt, MD, FRCPC
We hope the guidelines will help physicians to explain some of the many
questions that patients and family members ask about Seasonal Affective
Disorder.

Science and Light Therapy
Medical News & Perspectives
Timed exposure to daylight-intensity light has become the treatment of
choice for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Light is as effective as anti-depressant
medications are, perhaps more so.

Understanding How Bright Light
Affects Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Apollo Health Inc.
Mood and sleep disorders have chronobiologic basis. Using therapeutic
light to treat sleep disorders often resolves or mitigates the mood problem.
Light must be used at the proper time of day for desired effect. Explanation
of when and why to use bright light.

Wake Therapy News Release
PR Healthwire News Release
San Diego, CA: Doctors have known for decades that sleep deprivation immediately
reversed the effects of depression, but for only a day or so. Now doctors
can extend the antidepressant effects of sleep deprivation (now called
wake therapy*) by adding bright light treatments.

Exposure to Bright Light and Darkness
to Treat Physiologic Maladaptation to Night Work
The New England Journal of Medicine
Charles A. Czeisler, PhD, MD, Michael P. Johnson, AB, Jeanne F. Duffy
We conclude that maladaptation of the human circadian system to night
work, with its associated decline in alertness, performance, and quality
of daytime sleep, can be treated effectively with scheduled exposure to
bright light at night and darkness during the day.

Scientists Discover key to Melatonin
Regulation
Journal of Neuroscience News Release
Scientists discovered that wavelengths of light in the blue region of
the visible spectrum are the most effective in controlling melatonin production.
"This discovery will have an immediate impact on the therapeutic
use of light for treating winter depression and circadian disorders. Some
makers of light therapy equipment are developing prototypes with enhanced
blue light stimuli."

Understanding How Bright Light
Affects Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Apollo Health Inc.
Mood and sleep disorders have chronobiologic basis. Using therapeutic
light to treat sleep disorders often resolves or mitigates the mood problem.
Light must be used at the proper time of day for desired effect. Explanation
of when and why to use bright light.

Insurance Reimbursement Information
Checklist for obtaining reimbursement, Sample letter to insurance co.,
other instructions. (To be used with article, Beginning to see the light
and Abstracts from Professional Literature)

A controlled trial of timed bright
light and negative air ionization for treatment of winter depression.
Arch Gen Psychiatry
Terman M, Terman JS, Ross DC.
Three studies compared bright light and negative ionization to placebo
for the treatment of seasonal depression. Negative ionization was found
to be comparable to bright light in producing an antidepressant response.

Chronobiology and mood disorders:
background and introduction
Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience
Benjamin Rusak, PhD
Mood disorders are related to circadian rhythms in several different ways.
Rebalancing circadian rhythms is an important tool in treating mood disorders.

Understanding How Bright Light
Affects Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Apollo Health Inc.
Mood and sleep disorders have chronobiologic basis. Using therapeutic
light to treat sleep disorders often resolves or mitigates the mood problem.
Light must be used at the proper time of day for desired effect. Explanation
of when and why to use bright light.